¡COMO MEXICO NO HAY DOS! The "Real Mexico" from transvestite wrestlers to machete-wielding naked farmers. History, culture, politics, economics, news and the general weirdness that usually floats down from the north.

Transition in Oaxaca?

Political parties are making history in Oaxaca after nominating 19 transgender women as candidates (or their substitutes) for mayor in 12 municipalities.

The For Mexico in Front coalition, an alliance of the National Action (PAN), the Democratic Revolution (PRD) and the Citizens’ Movement (MC) parties, registered the largest number of transgender candidates with seven.

Absent from the list is the left-leaning Morena party and its allies in the Together We’ll Make History coalition, the Labor and Social Encounter parties.

“Transgender women will let the voters know that they are a political option,” said electoral institute president Gustavo Meixueiro Nájera.

(Mexico Daily News, 29 April 2018)

Now, before one gets too freaked out … or starts cheering too much… it should be pointed out that Oaxaca has 570 municipalities, so this means these candidates are running in two percent of the races for “mayor”. It might also be noted that “transgender” is a somewhat inaccurate translation several of the candidates are not, by western (or northern) thinking transgender, but are the third gender of the Zapotecs, muxes. Being biologically male, they are recorded as such on their birth certificate, although their role in Zapotec society is more that of the female. It seems to be less “liberalism” than simply finding a work-around for the bureaucrats that Oaxaca makes it relatively simple to change one’s gender on a birth certificate, and muxes often have themselves officially classified as female. In Zapotec society, women have always held the economic and social power, and there are some advantages to a muxe being classified as female.

While it is certainly a good thing that political parties are recognizing that minorities can make for viable candidates it should be noted that election laws in Oaxaca require gender parity for candidates on a party’s slate.

Most of these communities hold elections according to “traditional use and custom”… generally meaning the winner is chosen by consensus after public deliberation, rather than by balloting. It’s very likely that some of these candidates COULD win based on their adherence to one or another of the traditional parties, but then again, Oaxaca… especially rural Oaxaca… has a radical history, and the leftist Morena coalition may sweep these elections. May the best person win.

Support the Mex Files

The Mexfiles has never expected to turn a profit, but personal funds only go so far. Miscellaneous expenses (telephone, internet connection, subscriptions, spyware, hardware repair, etc.) run about 600 pesos (35 US$) a month, and donations are gratefully accepted. Please note that your donations are in Mexican Pesos (18 pesos to the US Dollar as of February 2019). A 25 US$ donation is 450 pesos.

Categories

Categories

Archives

Archives

My books

The background of Mexican anti-clericalism and the "atheist" general who led the Catholic counter-revolution of the 1920s
128 pp., Editorial Mazatlán, 2012.

An oral history of the World War II experiences of Gilberto Bosques (1894 – 1997), Mexico 's Consul General in Marseilles, France, who saved tens of thousands from the Nazis.
36 pp. Editorial Mazatlán, 2007 $35 MXP (click the image)

Archives

Archives

Licensing, reprints, contacts

While "The Mex Files" authorizes and encourages non-commercial use, such use must include a link including the words "Mex Files" hyperlinked to either "https://mexfiles.wordpress.com" or "http://mexfiles.net". Printed material must reference the original post.

Non-commercial re-publication is allowed for copyrighted material, provided it is "fair use" as defined in 17 USC § 107.

Commercial re-publication and all other use without the express written permission of the author is prohibited.
Information at richmx2 (at) live (dot) com